I spent two weeks in Turkey while traveling in September and it was one of the most diverse countries (as far as geography) we had a chance to visit. Rather than beginning our travels in Istanbul, we met in the Denizli province, which is about an hour flight west of Istanbul. Denizli is a city within a very rural area and actually, outside the major cities like Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara, much of Turkey is very rural. The only reason we decided to meet in Denizli, was to see the UNESCO World Heritage site, Pamukkale which is 20 minutes outside of Denizli.
After seeing beautiful photos of Pamukkale, I knew I had to see it and experience it for myself in person even though the next big attraction was 3 hours by bus. It was given its name because of its cotton like appearance from afar. Pamukkale means cotton and kale means castle, but looks really do deceive because Pamukkale is anything but cotton-like. The terraces are travertines of sedimentary rock deposited from the nearby thermal springs, which have formed hard, rigged pools along the mountainside in the course of thousands of years.
Pamukkale had originally peaked my interest with Homer’s Odyssey (the film version because I don’t recall the epic actually mentioning the travertines in the book) and ever since then, I have been determined to one day see it for myself!
The park’s entrance is 20 tl which comes out to about $10, but what I didn’t know beforehand was that the ancient city of Hierapolis is also within the park’s entrance cost which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are so many things you can actually do within Pamukkale and Hierapolis. You can easily spend a whole day walking around the area.
Hierapolis was used as a spa city from 2 BC by Ancient Greeks who would travel here to retire in old age. The city was largely developed and to this day many of the ruins still remain.
A host of ruins can still be seen, such as a large amphitheater which is currently under renovation, but still accessible, The St. Philip Martyrium, several thermal spring water bath houses used as healing centers, temples to Gods such as Apollo and Pluto and a rather large cemetery that has been looted over time.
You can in fact, swim in the thermal baths or just lounge in them, but be forewarned, it does get extremely crowded and busy so you may want to consider getting there when the park opens at 8 a.m. before the tour buses get in. Also, Turkey is a rather modest country when it comes to swim suits, but people including myself were wearing regular bikinis or bathing suits and there was no issue.
Duration: 5-6 hours
Nearest Town: Denizli
Water: Yes, but it’s expensive. You can buy water and snacks from the grocery stores outside the park for very cheap.
Cost: 20 TL
Bring: Dry clothes, closed toe shoes (beware of scorpions), bathing suit, sun block
Getting There
The easiest way to get to Pamukkale is by flying in from Istanbul using Pegasus Airlines which costs about $30. It’s a 45 minute flight and from the airport you hop on to one of the airline’s buses (they all go the same stop), but you need to let the bus driver where you are headed because they need to know where to drop you off. People also fly into Denizli to take a bus headed to the coast, so they need to know where to transfer you to, whether it’s a bus station or transfer stop. At a transfer stop, you take a shuttle into Pamukkale. Each ride costs about 10 TL and make sure you have the cash on you.
Where to Stay
I do not recommend staying in Denizli because it is far from Pamukkale. If there is a soccer/futbol match, then you can check that out or else I wouldn’t really recommend staying in Denizli, but rather stay in one of the hotels right outside of the UNESCO site. Reserve a hotel or pension in Pammukkale ahead of time. There are several places to choose from and breakfast is usually included!
Have you gone to Pammukkale? How was your experience? Share in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, why don’t you follow Adrift Anywhere on Facebook or subscribe to get updates on budgeting tips, travel advice and tips!
Great article about Pamukkale, but disappointed that you think there is nothing to do in Denizli! Quite the opposite, the life and culture of the region is in Denizli, while in the Pamukkale village there is nothing but hotels. Denizli has local restaurant, craftsmen, bazaars, textile manufacturing, handmade textiles, and a variety of other local activities. Please come back, and i will be happy to give you a personal tour of Denizli!
Hi ! i am planning a trip to turkey and chanced upon your article! really helped. However the trip plan for now brings me into Pamukkale via a bus at 6 am and then proceed to Fethiye by nightfall. I am curious to know where does one keep bags etc or the change of clothes when going into the thermal baths? are there any local locker provisions ?
Hi Shraddha, I am glad the article helped! Do you know if you are continuing on the same bus and can leave your belongings on the bus’s storage? If not, the best thing you can do is to ask a hotel to store your belongings. This isn’t unusual! When you walk into the park there is not a building where you can check things in so the best things is to do that, then between the entry point and the thermal baths there are the not only the travertines but also rugged trails. When you get to the the thermal baths I think there may be lockers, but you can keep your day bag near you.
I stayed at Hotel Pamukkale which is really close to the baths and it’s run by a really nice family. Just because I have experience with them, I would recommend asking them if they can store your luggage until the end of the day. I hope this helps!!
Really helpful articles !